The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-08
TOMS NUGGET.

It was early morning, yet, early as
it seemed, the little Australian mining
camp on the slope of Mount Magoari
was astir.
Smoke was curling up from camp
fires where battered teapots bubbled
and boiled, and ''dampers" were being
baked in the embers.
The air on every side was vocal
with bird music. Crowds of parrots
flew overhead in screaming fiocks,
cockatoos chartered in the gum trees,
and magpies whistled through the ra-
vines.
But Tom Horton, ''the Yankee lad; )"
as he was generally called, had no ear
for the melody of feathered songsters
on this particular morning.
He was heavy hearted, and, in con-
sequence, irritable. And the gurgling,
discordant and altogether exasperat-
ing "He, ha, ha-a-a!" of a laughing
jackass Ga species of large kingfisher)
from a thicket directly behind the rude
shanty, did not serve to .sOOthe his
troubled mood.
1t was almost as though some ma
licious individual was laughing at his
i'll luck, he moodily told himself, as
crouched before the blaze, he sat wait
inc for his tea to ''draw.'
Yet Tom had not seemed to deserve
ill fortune, if there was any truth in
the old saws about pluck and perse-
verance.
More than a year before he had
Quilted the worn out down east farm
where he had patiently toiled for bis
miserly uncle since he was left or
phaned and penniless by the death OF
his parents.
He had no wild visions of finding a
great fortune ready made to his hand.
He expected to work for what he did
succeed in getting.
But the rolling stone thus far had
gathered no moss. He had sought
work in large cities, but his ignorance
of city ways, his lack of references,
and his shabby clothing were all
against him.
Then he thought to try a new coun-
try, and worked his passage to Lon.
don in a sailing ship. There, to his
surprise, he found things ten times
worse.
From London he shipped as ordi'
nary seaman, at two pounds a month,
for Melbourne, Australia. There he
was robbed of his scanty wages on the
second night after his arrival. By
mere accident he got a chance to drive
supply team to Ballarat, and from
Ballarat he had drifted to the Magoar
diggings, ninety miles to- the west
ward.
Twenty years before, there had beer
rich finds in this vicinity, and in those
palmy days the digging was of the
most hasty and superficial kind. III
the greed for gold, men dug awhile il
one spot, and if unsuccessful, deserted
it for another. And in 'nuggety'
country not foot of soil would bt
left unturned.
So small colony of miners had 10
Gated at Magoari, and here Tom Hor
ton made his first essay at gold hunt
ing. One and another of the friendly
diggers contributed something to hi
simple outfit. They helped him repair
half-ruined shanty, and having takeI
possession of an abandoned claim clos'
by, Tom went to work with his usua
energy.
and here I've dug and sweated fol
nearly six months" muttered Tom
disconsolately, as all these thing
| passed in mental review, land how
much has it amounted TOP"
Rising, Tom stepped into the shanty
which was lighted by large window
at the rear, guiltless of sash or glass
From under the coarse straw pillow a
the head of his bunk he took small
bag, from which he emptied on tn
slab table few very small nuggets.
"Not twenty pounds worth in all,
said Tom, continuing his soliloquy il
the same discontented tone, land her
I'm owing pretty near half OF it TO
supplies"
"Ha. ha, ha-a-a-a" gurgled the bi,
brown kingtisher from the dense un
derbrush close to the window.
| ''Con-found that bird" angrily ant
unreasonably exclaimed Tom, ant
snatching up the nearest thing tina
came to hand, which happened to be
small iron skillet, he sent it crashin:
into the leafy thicket
To his surprise and dismay, the &C
was followed by a howl of pain and
volley of oaths that certainly did no
come from the laughing jackass, whicl
skurried away with another exasperat
ing ''ha, hal"
A heavily built man, whose dark
forbidding features were half hiddel
by an iron grey beard, dashed madl
from the thicket, holding one hand t
nasty cut just under one of his eyes
as Tom, sweeping his nuggets int
the bag, hastily returned it to hi
bunk.
The mildest type of colonial Ian
guage is more or less emphasized b
profanity; but during the whole of hi
stay in Magoari, Tom had never lis
tened to anything like the fluent bias
phemies that escaped the newcomer
lips, as presenting himself at the doc
he called attention to his wound.
s.A-skitterin' of pots. an kittle
through the winder into honist folks
faces as though the place was you
own, you white-faced young kid" h
roared after somewhat exhausting hi
first outbreak of profanity.
.'Honest people haven't any busi
ness sneaking about in the underbrus
back of shanty window" sharply re
torted Tom. s'And as far as the plac
is concerned, I'd like to see any on
make out that it wasn't mine," he wen
on, defiantly.
The man, who had square bruts
lower jaw, and low retreating for'
bead. dashed his battered Rlllysee